Neighborhood reacts to local garage fire

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Friday evening, first responders responded to a structure fire that damaged a garage and the apartment above it.

At 5:56 p.m., the fire department was called to a garage fire at the 4600 block of Conner Street off S. Moore Road.

First responders were able to gain control of the flames and extinguish the fire not once, but twice.

News 12 spoke with the owners, asking what had happened.

They said they don’t know but may speak after hearing back from investigators.

We asked community members in the neighborhood what they had seen.

Preston Wykoff explained how the heat from the burning building could be felt inside the walls of the home next door.

“You could feel it from inside the house. It was just really hot,” he exclaimed. “I mean, the flames were really high. A few people thought it might’ve been a meteor, but I’m not really sure.”

A group of young neighborhood boys gave a mix of reactions but were so grateful everyone turned out to be alright.

“It made me feel scared. Like there were firemen, probably like 30 or 40, because there were like around seven firetrucks. I’m glad that it didn’t spread.”

Christopher Bagby, another nearby neighbor, explained that when he saw the plumes of smoke, he wanted to make sure it wasn’t his aunt’s home from across the street.

“This is my aunt’s house, so when I heard that there was a fire earlier and then I saw a firetruck go down the street… because this was the second time when it reignited, and I was coming down the street from my house, I just saw the flames and the smoke. I just started running to make sure that my aunt’s house was okay. There were just like 10 firetrucks and ambulances, all the police cars, and a lot of smoke and flames, and I didn’t know what was going on.”

Bagby submitted a video that he recorded at the scene of the fire.

First responders say that due to the neighbors alerting the residents about the fire, everyone was able to escape safely.

They were able to gain control of the flames and extinguish the fire.

No injuries have been reported.

It has been stated that the Red Cross will be assisting the fire victims.

This fire is under investigation.

We will update you as we learn more.